Blog

Five reasons why Equip is unmissable!

Peter Grier, 13/02/19

There are a lot of Christian conferences and festivals out there, so why should I prioritise Equip over anything else this summer?

1. EQUIP unites CUs

Eat together. Camp together. Chill together. Worship together. Learn together. Respond together. Equip is made for CUs to be equipped for mission on campus. It’ll unite your CU round that purpose. And a CU with a strong sense of purpose is a CU more united than ever.

Equip will give committees a chance to plan the whole term, CUs the chance to catch up, keen first years the chance to integrate, and it’ll mean that week one on campus is all set so that people can meet Jesus as God reveals Himself to many.

2. EQUIP gathers CUs from around the island

“From Bantry Bay to Derry Quay, and from Galway to Dublin town…” these aren’t just the lyrics of a famous song, they are reality for us! The unity in diversity has been a constant highlight for everyone at CU Annual Conference over the years. We’ve heard epic stories of how God has used CUs of three people to win others for Christ. And how a massive CU learnt loads about God from its struggles over how to motivate such a large group of people. We’ve heard students who weren’t Christians last year share publicly for the first time their story of how Jesus found them through the CU on campus. And that’s before we remember all the ideas and resources we’ve shared, and the times of praying together, weeping with each other, and rejoicing in harmony. What’s not to love?

3. EQUIP fuels for campus life in unique ways

How do I study biology as a Christian? What difference does faith make to studying mathematics? How can I transition well into graduate life past the buzz of CU community? How can a CU run effective evangelism that actually works? How could I run for an Student Union election and do that job as a Christian? There are lots of unique campus questions that you’re not often going to hear extensive answers to elsewhere. There is no other festival on the island that is uniquely going to equip you for student life like this one.

From the Bible talks to the workshops, artists–in–residence, worship and stories told – all of it will be from people who are in your shoes, who know campus life, and most of whom know what campuses on this island are like. The programme has been carefully crafted by students and staff alike, to make it an unmissable five days.

4. EQUIP fires us up for a year of CU mission

Imagine five days of fun to finish off the summer in a stunning forest park. A chance to catch up with old CU friends, to share summer stories. A chance to look ahead expectantly to the new term and see how God wants to shape it – to pray and to plan. An opportunity to dream dreams together. By the time term starts, you’ll be ready to make the most of the opening few weeks, and be focussed in how you use your time well.

For those of you in CUs that run events weeks, you’ll know how much it shapes the whole term. Several weeks praying, publicising, spending time with friends and building up to it, and then the rest of the term following up interested people, building on conversations we’ve had with friends we’ve invited (whether they came or not). It’s brilliant because it keeps us thinking about mission all term.

And so with EQUIP. Perfectly situated at the start of term, as a launchpad to get going.

5. EQUIP lets us see we’re part of something bigger

How can we enjoy being part of God’s plan for the nations? Sometimes we feel we struggle to reach our own campus, nevermind think beyond it. But hearing stories of God at work from Spain to Saudi Arabia, and from China to Chile can inspire us and help us gain perspective as we think about our own island to and the “them over there” who we walk past daily but would never engage with, or the campus which hasn’t yet even got a CU, just a few hours down the road from us.

Come and be encouraged by our guests, some of whom have gone in recent years from our campuses to unengaged and unreached areas of our island and the world. And who knows how God might you or your CU to partner with others even at the festival?